Tilt actuator for pressurized spray dispenser



United States Patent Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented TILT ACTUATOR FOR PRESSURIZED SPRAY DISPENSER Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Handren [52] us. cl. 222/4024 Mathm [51] Int. a 365d 8/14 [50] Field of Search ..222/402.l3, ABSTRACT: Means for dispensing a fluid product in a spray .4021, 402.15, 402.21, 2.22, 402-23. or mist from a supply of the product in a container and under pressure, wherein a fully controllable but compact actuator is [56] References Cited easily mounted upon the container for vertical tilting valve- UNITED STATES PATENTS opening movement about an axis disposed transversely 2,685,989 8/ 1954 Samuels 222/402.l5X through the actuator.

4| "55 l l 60 t ,i F I 6| i I l I;

' n I I v Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,634

INVENTOR John 6. Mayerc/lr g pa W ATTORNEYS In the general field of the invention, there are numerous known and patented devices for actuating the dispensing of pressurizedfluids from containers,'many of which may be found in Patent Office Classes 222 and 239.

At least some of such art is disclosed in the U.S.-Pat. Nos. 2,506,449 to C. W. Greenwood, 2,765,965 to J. B. Reswick,

waltl9 adjacent groove 33 of the valve 'cupand opposition j to the'pressu're rib 47'against the seam l6."Thc lowerfedges 50 of the inner, wall:48,and of the adjacent lower edge of the I Outerskirt 42-slope upwardly andforwardly and away from the surface 49, as shown in FIGS. Sand 6-, to insure adequate I clearance when the actuator is rocked to-a dispensing posi- 3,096,002 to J. E. Focht, 3,101,876 to LB. Ayres, and '1 3,270,925 to C .I .-Obst. Each of these patents variously shows a dispensing container for fluid under pressure and a conventional valve seal adjacent an aperture in the container, and the seal being operable upon manual pressure applied thereto through an actuator which is generally rocked or tilted by such application of pressure, and are typical of the. prior art in this regard. I

Novel structural improvements of the present invention over the prior artinclude the provision ofarcuately spaced means on the actuator to provide both'an easily assembled and highly controllable compact pivotal mounting and means for retaining the actuator in position on a stemless valved container.

Numerous. objects'ancladvantages of the invention will become readily apparent as it is better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the ac.-

companying drawings.

Referring-to the drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top-ofa container and act'uator embodyingthe invention;

' FIG. 2 is a plan view-of the-actuator and a fragmentary portion of the container top-,certain portions being broken away for clarity; I

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at 3-3 inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view ofthe actuator; I

FIG. 5 is anenlarged sectional view taken at 5-5 in FIG. 2; and I FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken at 6-6 in FIG. 2.

With further reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a contion. AlsQ, -the lower portion of the radially inwardly facing I surface of inner wall 48 is beveled or chamfered as best seen at 70, FIG. 5,1to facilitate initial telescoping assembly of the actuator body with the valve cup- 17, as isevident. I

.The actuator may therefore be assembled quickly with the container bypressingor snapping the fins 44, 44' under the ledge 46 with-the actuator held in a substantially horizontal position. I i

Manipulation of the actuator V to effect dispensing of the Y pressurized product iseffected by digital pressure upon a concavely depressed area 51 on the top of the-actuator. The area 5! may beribbed assh'own crothrwise contigured'to insure positive finger-control of the actuator. urther, the concavity axis is parallel to the discharge nozzle 61, whereby normal index finger-placement on the area 51 positively indicates the direction of subsequent spray projection to the user.

Pressure upon the area 51 rocks the actuator about a tilt axis extending through the actuator body, namely a line extending between the points of engagement between the bulbous ends of the ears 44, 44 withthewall 20 and ledge 46. This rocking movement also'forces a central depending hollow stem portion 52of the actuator to slide axially in the tubular portion 27 ofthe valve body and thereby to depress the valve-seal 25 out of sealingengag'ement with the tubular portion 27 "of-the valve cup so, that fluidrisingunder pressure in the dip tube 35 passes through one or more apertures 53 in the seal 25, andthe'nce' through an inlet port or notch 54 in the stem 52, and dispensing bore or passageway 55 in the stem, to and, through the discharge nozzle 61,'iand dispensed as a projecte'd mist or spray.

pressure.

ventional container 11) forholding a fluid product under pres- I sure. The container comprises a body .llunited to a breast member 12 as by a double seam 13. An end closure 14 (FIG. 6) is united to the breast member in a crimped seam as at 16. A central raised portion of the closure 14 forms a valve mounting cup 17 so that an annular channel 18 is formed having inner and outer upstanding-walls l9 and 20, respectively.

A stemless resilient valve seal 25 normally clo s esan opening at the lower end-of a downturned short tubular portion 27 of the valve cup 17, and is secured atits periphery between the under surface of the top wall 28of the valve cap and an inturned ledge"3l of a retaining member .32, which latter member is secured in the valve cup;17 by an inwardly formed groove 33. The lower end of the member 32 terminates in a.

short tubular portio'n'34in which a conventional dip tube 35'is secured.

The dispensing actuator40 of .the present invention overlies .the .valve cup 17. Theactuator comprises a hollow body; 41

terminating downwardly in an outer curved peripheralwall or .skirt 42 which, inassembly with :the container, projects downwardly into the channel. 18 of the endclosure. A pairof I ears or fins 44, 44 (FIG. 2) proje ct radially from:the actuator wall in cir'cumferentially spaced relation thereon, and extend into engagement, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, with the container wall 20 beneath an inwardly extending ledge 46' of the seam crimp 16, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained. A spacing projection or rib 47, disposed between the ears 44, 44 also extends radially'outwardly from the wall 42-and en- I gages ledge 46'of roll seam l6( FIGS. 2 and 6).

An inner U-shaped wall 48 of the actuator. body is spaced I inwardly from and concentric with the wall 42, and is provided with an interiorsurface- 149 thatslopes downwardly and inwardly so that its inner surface presses against-the upstanding Upon release of actuator 40, the same returns to the valveclosed position of FIG. 6 under the combined influence of the .The provision of thespacedretainingfins 44, 44 coupled" t with the radially'spaced skirts 42, 48 which are'in respective engagement withthe outer and inner walls defining the channel-18 provides an actuator, structure which is most easily manually or mechanically coupled to the valved container by the aforesaid assemblytechnique. Further, the spaced fins .cooperate with the closure-engaging skirts to positively prevent accidental dislodgement or separation of the actuator from the container despitepossible rough handling in shipment or use. I

These and other advantages derive from the location of the tilt axis in intersecting chordal relation to the actuator body, whichminimizes the required tilting movement and also the flexing or yielding necessarywhen the actuator must be bodily {of the tilt axis-in generally overlying relation to the discharge moved through a greater linear distance.

Further, it will benoted that in the disclosed form of the invention, the finger-receiving concavity is disposed forwardly nozzle.

This arrangement permits in actual use, a surprising degree of valve-opening control while yet providing an actuator of exceedingly compact dimensions, and on which, as noted, is

'fluid passing through the several passages 57 converges centrally of the nozzle to exit through bore 60,.whereby the fluid stream is mechanically broken up into fine particles. The nozzle 61 opens outwardly from an upwardly and inwardly sloping wall 62 of the actuator.

Upper and lower walls 63 and 64 diverge outwardly fromthe sloping walls 62 to form a' transverse channel and cooperate with the bore 6l'to control the spray emerging from the orifice. The lower wall 64 protects the container and the upper wall 65 protecting the actuator depressing finger of the operators hand from the spray.

While in the disclosed embodiment the actuator has been illustrated as having the laterally directed orifice 61, the principles of the invention are applicable to actuators of other configurations. Thus, theactuator discharge nozzle may be axially directed in upward continuation of passageway 55 as may be desirable in awhipped cream dispenser, for example, while still retaining the two-point ear mounting and compact mode of operation described. In such instance, of course, the fingerreceiving areaSl would necessarily be relocated to a locale on lower wall 64 forwardly of the tilt axis as seen in FIG. 6.

It is thought that the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrange ment of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of.

sure container, comprising, an actuator body, said body hav- 1 ing a dispensing bore disposed centrally thereof and provided between sa'id'ears. v

6; Thef'tilting actuator of cla'irnfl wherein said discharge nozzle is laterally directed toward the opposite side of said at its opposite ends respectively with an inlet port and a discharge nozzle, valve actuating means adjacent said inlet port operable upon movement thereof, said body having an outer, lower wall of arcuate configuration disposed substantially concentrically with said inlet port, and a pair of mount-.

ing ears disposed in laterally spaced relation upon said outer wall and'extending outwardly therefrom, said ears defining therebetween a tilting axis extending through said body and defining a chordal line with respect to said arcuate outer wall, whereby said actuator may be mounted on said container by said ears for compact rocking movement about said tilting axis to actuate the container valve.

2. The tilting valve actuator of claim 1 further including an arcuate inner wall on said body radially inwardly of said outer wall for cooperative centering engagement with a container.

3. The tilting actuator of claim 2 wherein saidinnerwall includes an inwardly facing cham fere'd surface at its lower exe' tremity. l

4. The tilting valve actuator of claim2 surface of said actuator inclines upwardly forwardly of said tilting axis.

5. The tilting actuator of claim-2 wherein a spacing rib extends outwardly from said outer wall in spaced rel ation'to and wherein the lower' Lbody from said outer wall with the body further including:

outer wall for'cooperative centering engagement with a container;

a finger-receiving portion at the upper portion of said body 7. The tilting actuator of-claim 6 wherein said inner wall in- I cludes an inwardly facing bevelled surface at its lower extremity. v j i v 8. In a dispensing device for fluid products under pressure in a container having a discharge valve member biased to a closed position at an opening in the container adjacent an an- 5 nular channel having inner and outer upstanding walls, an actuator mounted between and in contact with said channel walls for oscillatory movement toward and from said opening in the container, wherein: said mounting for oscillatory movement includes a pair of spaced ears extending radially outwardly from said actuator into' contact with said outer wall to define therebetween a tilting axis extending through said actuator;

a hollow stem portionof said actuator extends downwardly from a central portion thereof and projecting through said opening into contact with said discharge valve member;

said actuator has a passageway formed therein and extending from s ai d hollow stem to the outer surface of the-ac tuatorjand' I I wherebytilting pressure applied to said actuator depresses said valve .thereby releasing said product under pressure to flow-through said passagewayto be dispensed through said orificeiin the actuator.

9. A dispensing device according to claim 8 wherein said outer'channel-wall is continuous between said ears and there is provided a further radial projection on said actuator disposed, intermediate said ears and in engagement with said outer wall for spacing the main body'of said actuator from engagement and spacing contact with said inner channel wall.

an arcuateinner wall disposed radially inwardlyv of said 

